For Lack of Stormy Weather
by nsane1
Summary: A case involving a missing producer and his eight children takes an unexpected and dark turn.


_**For Lack of Stormy Weather**_

Rating: T (for content)  
Summary: A case involving a missing producer and his eight children takes an unexpected and dark turn.  
Disclaimer: It is very much not mine.  
Author's Note: I started this with the final few scenes back in March or April...here it is, finally finished, in script format, because I'm not comfortable in Brenda's head just yet. Thanks to my best friend for the awesome title (and law enforcement advice)!

* * *

SCENE

Int. Brenda's office. She's finishing a phone call, or trying to.

BRENDA

Fritzy—Fritz—we will talk about this later. (BEAT) It does not! If I meant that, I would say forever, honestly!

Provenza knocks on her door; Brenda looks relieved as she waves him in.

BRENDA CONT'D

Fritz, I have to go work. (BEAT) Yes, we will talk about it. (BEAT) I love you. Bye now, Fritzy! (hangs up; turns to Provenza) How can I help you, lieutenant?

PROVENZA

We got sent a girl with a missing dad. You okay to see her?

BRENDA

Since when is a missing person a major crime?

PROVENZA

When the missing person's a famous director, I guess. Pope's orders.

BRENDA

Mr. Ramos is going to have a field day with this one. (sighs) Bring her in.

Provenza holds the door open for a young girl, maybe 14 or 15. She seems nervous, upset. Her clothing is very nice, probably expensive; she's wearing a hoodie.

BRENDA CONT'D

Hi there, I'm Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson. How can I help you?

CORINNE

Corinne Woods, ma'am. My stepdad's Eugene Woods.

BRENDA

The director, yes. How long has he been missing?

CORINNE

He's shooting a movie up in San Fransisco. He was supposed to be back three days ago. I've tried calling him, but I can't reach him, and the film set said he left on schedule. (Tears) I'm worried something's happened.

BRENDA

Has he ever done this sort of thing before?

CORINNE

No, ma'am.

BRENDA

Right, well, we'll need some information that your mama probably knows—

CORINNE

(interrupts) I can tell you.

BRENDA

(frowns) You know things like their bank account numbers?

CORINNE

Well, no, but—

BRENDA

(glancing up at the clock as if just realizing something) And hold on a minute. Why isn't she the one doing the reporting? You should be in school. (No answer) Corinne, what is going on here?

CORINNE  
(bursts into tears) She probably hasn't noticed!

BRENDA  
(very gently) Why hasn't she noticed her husband is missing, Corinne?

CORINNE

She…she doesn't pay attention to anything. She drinks, and—and—

Corinne puts her head down on her arms and sobs harder. Brenda awkwardly pats Corinne on the arm; to her surprise, the girl jerks away.

BRENDA

What's wrong? Did I—did I hurt you?

CORINNE

N-no, ma'am, I—I…

BRENDA

Could you take off your sweater for me, Corinne? Please.

Very slowly, Corinne removes her sweater to reveal striped bruises up and down her arms.

BRENDA CONT'D

(quiet) Did your mama do that to you, Corinne? (she shakes her head no) Your daddy?

Very, very slowly, Corinne nods, still crying.

BRENDA CONT'D

All right, Corinne. Here's what we'll do. We'll need you to give a statement about your dad being missing, and I'd like you to give a statement about what he's done to you. Then we'll need to talk to your mama, okay?

CORINNE

(sniffling) Are you gonna need to hold her for a bit?

BRENDA

We might, depending on…things.

CORINNE

If I'm here, what's gonna happen to the kids?

BRENDA

The what?

CORINNE

I pick up some of my younger siblings at school and walk them to the daycare where the nanny picks us and our other brothers up.

BRENDA

…How many siblings do you have?

CORINNE

Seven.

BRENDA

Seven?

CORINNE

Yes, ma'am. I pick up Bryce, Hannah, Michaela, and Lucy. The nanny gets Logan, James, and Tyler.

BRENDA

Well…uh...we can pick them up on the way home to your house. All of you should be able to stay with your nanny. I might need to talk to some of them, but we can do that tomorrow.

CORINNE

Thank you, ma'am. I feel much better now that you're on the case (watery smile).

BRENDA

(reassuring smile) I'll find your daddy, Corinne, and we'll get to the bottom of what's going on. Don't you worry.

SCENE

Brenda's apartment, the dinner table. She's talking animatedly, punctuating points with her fork. Fritz is wary of the silverware.

BRENDA

—And her mama was so drunk or high or whatever, she couldn't even tell us her own name. We couldn't question her; we had to throw her in the drunk tank overnight. And she has eight kids, Fritzy! Eight! At least Corinne seems responsible and thank god for that nanny, but those poor kids, Fritzy. They've got all the toys and clothes and electronics money can buy, except for loving, caring parents.

FRITZ

(quiet) You call social services yet?

BRENDA

I'm trying to put it off so those poor kids don't get separated. The nanny's a live-in, anyway, so they're all right until we charge either parent.

FRITZ

You have to find the father, first.

BRENDA

I hope we find him, and alive. He's got it coming, Fritzy.

FRITZ

(fondly) He won't know what hit him.

SCENE

The next day. Brenda is coming into the office. Gabriel meets and briefs her.

GABRIEL

We've got all of them here, Chief. Sanchez and Tao are entertaining the older kids in One, Flynn's got the nanny and another kid in Two, the mom is just about sober but she's still in the tank, and Corinne and the two babies are with Provenza in your office.

BRENDA

(sighs) Thank you, sergeant. That was very thorough. Let's start with the kids, get them out of the way so we can get them home.

SCENE

Interrogation room one. Tao is showing the younger kids a magic trick and Sanchez is playing cards with the oldest. There are four kids: Bryce (9), Hannah (7), Michaela (7), and Lucy (5). When Brenda comes in, Tao and Sanchez say their goodbyes and leave the kids with Brenda and Gabriel.

BRENDA

Hi there, I'm Brenda and this here is David.

LUCY

You talk funny.

BRYCE

Lu!

BRENDA

No, it's okay. I do talk funny, don't I? It's because I'm from Georgia, all the way on the other side of the country. If y'all can understand me okay, I need to ask you some questions about your daddy.

HANNAH

He's not our daddy, Miss Brenda.

MICHAELA

Yeah, he's just James and Tyler's daddy.

HANNAH

For everyone else, he's our stepdad.

MICHAELA

We call him Eugene even.

LUCY

Because it's funny. Euuuuugeeeene.

BRENDA

That is very funny. Where's everybody else's daddy?

BRYCE

(quiet) Cora's daddy died of cancer. My daddy ran away. Han and Mick's daddy went to war and didn't come back, and Lu and Logan's daddy ran away, too.

BRENDA

That's a lot of runaway daddies.

BRYCE

Did Eugene run away, too?

BRENDA

That's what we're trying to figure out. Did anything seem weird to you lately?

LUCY

Eugene bought us Wiis!

BRYCE

She doesn't mean that, Lu. No, Miss Brenda, nothing weird. He always buys us stuff before he goes away for a trip or after…

BRENDA

After what?

HANNAH

(whispered) We're not supposed to say.

BRENDA

(whispers back) I promise, I will not tell anyone, and neither will David, okay?

MICHAELA

After he _hits _Cora, Miss Brenda.

BRENDA

He hits her?

BRYCE

Not all the time. Just when he's really really had a long bad day.

LUCY

And he don't hurt us, Miss Brenda! Cora takes care of us.

BRENDA

I can see that. Does Eugene ever hurt your mama?

HANNAH

Only sometimes, too.

MICHAELA

And she gets presents. Boring presents.

BRENDA

Right, well, grownups like boring presents sometimes. (smiles, but it's a little sickly) Y'all have been a very big help. I'm gonna go talk to your nanny for a little bit, and then you can go home. I'll send those two nice men who were with you before to play with you until then, and maybe they can bring you some donuts, would you like that?

KIDS

Thank you! Yes, Miss Brenda!

SCENE

Interrogation Room Two. Brenda and Flynn are with the nanny, Morena Lucciano.

BRENDA

Ms. Lucciano, how long have you been with the Woods family?

MORENA

For two years, Ms. Johnson. Are they in trouble, ma'am? Mrs. Woods, I know she can seem somewhat forgetful, but she loves her children.

BRENDA

Loves them so much she drinks until she can't remember her own name, much less theirs?

MORENA

There is…trouble sometimes, ma'am.

BRENDA

Trouble. Like Mr. Woods beating the crap out of his wife and oldest stepdaughter?

MORENA

He is a good father, he—

BRENDA

It's just the three of us here, Morena. You don't have to lie for him.

MORENA

He can…it's just that he can have a temper, ma'am.

BRENDA

Have you seen him hitting Mrs. Woods or Corinne?

MORENA

No, ma'am. Miss Cora, she tells me to take the little kids and stay out of sight. She is a very good sister, ma'am. She protects them.

BRENDA

I can see that. Right, well, did you notice anything strange leading up to his trip to San Francisco?

MORENA

No, ma'am. He left as he always does, early in the morning before anyone is awake. He does not like to say goodbye to the children.

BRENDA

He and Mrs. Woods, they didn't fight?

MORENA

No, ma'am. They love each other, Ms. Johnson. I do not know why Mr. Woods didn't come home. He loves his family.

BRENDA

(mutters) I can see that.

SCENE

Back in Interrogation Room One, only now Layla Woods is there, as well as Flynn. She looks like she's had a hard night, and is quite distraught now that she's more aware of her surroundings.

LAYLA WOODS

Where are my children? Where's my husband?

BRENDA

Your children are with Ms. Lucciano, your nanny. Were you aware your husband didn't come home three days ago like he was supposed to?

LAYLA WOODS

No, he…he was away…he's supposed to be away until the 15th.

BRENDA

It's the 19th, Mrs. Woods.

LAYLA WOODS

(crying) Oh, my husbands…my husbands, they never stay, never. He ran away, too.

BRENDA

Can you tell me about that? Your husbands running away?

LAYLA WOODS

They won't stay, they just won't stay. Only Corinne's father stayed, but he died, he died. They never stay…never…Eugene said he wouldn't leave, but he left, too…all of them leave…all of them…

BRENDA

Mrs. Woods…Mrs. Woods, if you could calm down to answer just a few questions…

LAYLA WOODS

(crying louder) My husband…my poor husband…

BRENDA

(loudly) Were you aware that Mr. Woods was hurting your oldest daughter, Mrs. Woods?

LAYLA WOODS

Eugene is a good man…he never meant to hurt her. Sometimes he just needs to get frustrations out.

BRENDA

She's your daughter, and she's a child! You're meant to protect her!

LAYLA WOODS

He never hurt her too bad…just her arms, always just her arms, she has ugly arms…

BRENDA

(stands up, disgusted) Flynn, if you'd finish questioning Mrs. Woods about her husband, I need to go wash my hands. And if you'd please arrest her for gross child neglect, that would be wonderful.

FLYNN

With pleasure.

SCENE

Brenda's office. Corinne is there, looking very upset.

CORINNE

But you can't take them away! I can take care of them!

BRENDA

I'm sorry, Corinne, but—

CORINNE

I've always taken care of them, me and Morena! Please, don't take them away.

BRENDA

(very guilty) With your daddy missing, now that we've charged your mama, we have to turn all of you over to child protective services, at least temporarily.

CORINNE

But they'll break us all apart.

BRENDA

I am working very hard to make sure that doesn't happen. The two babies, James and Tyler, will go into emergency foster care, but I should be able to get the rest of you into a temporary state house.

CORINNE

Like an orphanage?

BRENDA

Something like that, yes, but you'll be together until we can contact relatives…we'll figure something out. Worse comes to worst, you can apply to get them all back when you turn eighteen, and I will help you do that.

CORINNE

They're…they're my brothers and sisters, I'm all they've got.

BRENDA

I know, Corinne, and you've done a wonderful job taking care of them. Let the state do the job for a little while, okay?

Corinne nods, wiping her eyes as Gabriel comes in.

GABRIEL

Chief, they've found—oh. I'm sorry, I didn't know you were with someone.

BRENDA

They found Mr. Woods?

GABRIEL

(glances at Corinne) Yes, but…

CORINNE

He's dead, isn't he? You _found_ his body? Where did you find it?

Gabriel looks away, feeling guilty. Brenda is looking at Corinne, who looks oddly…angry. When she notices Brenda is looking at her, she seems more upset.

CORINNE CONT'D

Please tell me?

Brenda nods at Gabriel, looking slight suspicious.

GABRIEL

He, uh…washed up in the bay. Dr. Morales is waiting with the au—with the results.

There's an angry flicker from Corinne again, so quick it could be a figment of one's imagination.

BRENDA

If you'll excuse me, Corinne, I need to go talk with the doctor. Someone from child protective services will drive you home, start the process.

CORINNE

(in tears again) Yes, ma'am. Thank you, ma'am.

SCENE

Autopsy. Brenda and Gabriel go in, dressed in scrubs, to be greeted by Dr. Morales.

DR MORALES

I've got some bad news for you, Chief Johnson.

BRENDA

Out with it, then, doctor!

DR MORALES

Our good director was definitely murdered.

BRENDA

Murdered?! You have got to be kidding me.

DR MORALES

Nope. The level of alcohol in his system is toxic, too much for him to have imbibed on his own without passing out. Someone put rubbing alcohol in his tequila and then threw him in the bay.

BRENDA

Thank you, Dr. Morales. Sergeant Gabriel, let's go start investigating.

SCENE

The murder room. On the whiteboard is Eugene Woods' picture, with the word "victim" in quotation marks. Brenda is writing a timeline.

BRENDA

Both Corinne and the nanny said he left on the 8th and was supposed to be back on the 15th. He was up in San Francisco, so let's assume half a day for traveling…Has anyone gotten a hold of the set?

PROVENZA

We've been trying, but they ended production on the 16th, so nobody's there.

SANCHEZ

I've been trying to contact his secretary or his production manager, anyone on set, but so far I haven't been able to get anyone.

BRENDA

Lt. Tao, what about his finances?

TAO

I've been looking into them, Chief, but there's no suspicious activity at all. Whoever killed him wasn't after his money. I got a hold of the will, too; all the money's set to go to the wife and kids.

BRENDA

Well, I doubt Mrs. Woods was aware enough to kill him. Lt. Flynn, anything on any enemies he might have?

FLYNN

Like Julio said, we can't get a hold of anyone on his current production. But I've talked to some of his old acquaintances, and apparently he was respected and well-liked.

BRENDA

Probably because they don't know he smacked his daughter and wife around. (sighs) All right. The most important thing right now is to get a hold of someone who was supposed to be on set with him, so I want all of you on that. Let's find out where he was between the 15th and the 18th.

SCENE

Brenda's office. She slams the phone down, frustrated. Provenza comes in, looking triumphant.

BRENDA

Tell me you've found something.

PROVENZA

I finally got a hold of his production assistant. She says he never made it up there.

BRENDA

(frowns) Wait, but Corinne…did she say anything else?

PROVENZA

Only that one of his kids called to say he had a family emergency and couldn't come.

BRENDA

(very suspicious) Which kid?

PROVENA

Didn't say. What are you thinking, Chief?

BRENDA

Nothing good.

SCENE

Brenda's office again, but this time Corinne is there. She's crying while Brenda questions her.

BRENDA

Corinne, I'll ask you again. Why did you tell me you called the set?

CORINNE

I did!

BRENDA

Not to ask if he'd left! To say he wouldn't be there! You knew he was already dead.

CORINNE

(sobbing) How would I know that?

BRENDA

Come on, now, Corinne. You know what happened, and you are going to tell me.

CORINNE

I didn't—I'm not—please!

BRENDA

(slams her hands down, stands up and leans across the desk) Stop it, Corinne, and tell me why you've been lying, or I make sure all of you are sent to different foster homes! What, did you kill him? Answer me, or I swear—

Corinne abruptly stops crying and her eyes go cold. She looks up at Brenda, completely calm.

BRENDA CONT'D

Oh my god. You did kill him.

CORINNE

(self-satisfied) Even if I did, how are you going to prove it? I don't see any cameras in here. If you stick me in an interrogation room, I'll just start crying again and no one will believe you, Brenda. No one.

BRENDA

(horrified) But you…

CORINNE

I'm just a kid? I told you, I can take care of myself and my siblings.

BRENDA

By killing your stepdaddy? And…the ones who, who ran away?

CORINNE

I'm not admitting anything, and you can't prove it.

BRENDA

I will find evidence, Corinne. I will prove you did it.

CORINNE

No one anywhere we've lived has ever been able to figure anything out. You're the closest, but still. And besides, no one will let you near the case after this.

BRENDA

After what?

Looking right into Brenda's eyes with a smirk on her face, Corinne raises her hand up. Brenda shakes her head no, but Corinne slaps herself hard across the face.

CORINNE

Good luck getting anyone to believe you now.

Holding her cheek and starting to cry again, Corinne stumbles out into the squadroom, followed by a horrified Brenda. They all frown.

PROVENZA

Chief…?

CORINNE

(sobbing) She hit me! I was just trying to answer her questions and she wouldn't stop asking and she—she—she hit me!

FLYNN

(shocked disbelief) Let me see.

He pulls Corinne's hand away from her face; there is a red handprint on her cheek.

FLYNN CONT'D

Chief…

BRENDA

I did not hit her! She hit herself!

GABRIEL

Chief, not that I think…but why would she do that?

BRENDA

She killed Eugene Woods, and she is trying to discredit me!

CORINNE

I wouldn't—I would never! (sobs harder)

BRENDA

See what she's doing?

FLYNN

Chief, we'd better go talk to Pope.

BRENDA

Well, I never!

SCENE

Pope's office. Brenda and Pope are there, along with Captain Raydar.

BRENDA

Suspension?!

POPE

Brenda, no one thinks you hit her—

BRENDA

Well, obviously someone does, because you're suspending me!

CAPTAIN RAYDAR

It's only temporary while we investigate. It's for the good of the department, Chief Johnson. I promise I will resolve this as quickly as possible.

BRENDA

While that girl runs around free after murdering three of her stepdaddies?

POPE

Go home, Brenda. Let us figure this out.

SCENE

Brenda's home, her living room. She's slumped on the couch despondently, drinking a glass of wine with the bottle on the table in front of her. Fritz comes in, confused to see her.

FRITZ

Honey, what are you doing home?

BRENDA

(unhappy) I got suspended.

FRITZ

Suspended? What happened?

He sits down and puts an arm around her; she rests her head on his shoulder.

BRENDA

A suspect insists I hit her. We were in my office and she hit herself to make my team believe I did it.

FRITZ

Why would she do that?

BRENDA

I was getting close to finding out the truth, obviously. (frustrated) I need to go back to that house. We have to have missed something.

FRITZ

You need to let your team deal with this, honey. They know you wouldn't hit a kid, and they've got your back. (kisses her head)

SCENE

Montage. Gabriel goes to the Woods house, which is blocked off with caution tape. Gloves on, he goes methodically through the house, looking for something, anything that would link Corinne with her stepfather's murder. He finally comes to the kitchen. The cabinet under the sink has a baby lock on it. He undoes the catch and roots around in the cabinet, past the cleaning supplies, the chemicals…and finds a lone bottle of tequila.

SCENE

Interrogation room. Brenda and Gabriel are in there, while everyone else watches from the observation room. Everyone looks slightly horrified.

CORINNE

I didn't do it!

BRENDA

(hard, cold) You and I both know you killed them, so here's how it's going to work. I have enough to make an arrest no matter what. If you cooperate and tell me what you did, I will make sure the DA has you tried as a juvenile. If you refuse, I will have the DA try you as an adult, and believe me, you do not want that.

CORINNE

You and I both know a jury won't send me anywhere but an institution, if they send me anywhere at all, no matter what I'm tried as. You lose, Brenda.

BRENDA

Fine, then. I was hoping not to resort to this, but… (lays out papers) You don't cooperate, this is where your precious little brothers and sisters are going. Separate foster families for all of them, and all the families foster juvenile delinquents.

CORINNE

(suddenly furious) You wouldn't dare.

BRENDA

Do not test me, Corinne! And your mama goes to prison instead of rehab. What'll it be?

CORINNE

This is blackmail.

BRENDA

This is my final offer, Corinne; take it or leave it.

CORINNE

(after a beat) I'll confess everything, but I want a contract signed by you, your boss, and a DA. The four older kids stay together and the three younger kids do. My mom goes to rehab. (Sits back) And I'd like a soda. (beat) I'll wait.

BRENDA

I'll be right back.

She hurries into the observation room.

POPE

Are you sure about this, Brenda? We don't need her confession. She's right, a jury will just send her—

BRENDA

She is a good actor, Will! We put her up on that stand and she starts talking about all her siblings and crying, they won't convict her. That is not going to happen. That little girl is a murdering sociopath, Will, and she'll just keep killing.

POPE

(sighs) All right. Give me 15 minutes.

SCENE

Brenda storms back into the interview room, where Corinne is calmly sipping a soda.

BRENDA

(Throws the paper down) Here it is. Read it and sign it, and then talk.

CORINNE

Yes, ma'am.

She looks it over, signs it, and pushes it back over to Brenda.

CORINNE CONT'D

Who do you want me to start with?

BRENDA

(shudders almost imperceptibly) Why don't we start with Eugene Woods.

CORINNE

(calmly, like it's nothing) Okay. I killed him. I dumped isopropyl alcohol in his tequila, because my mom never touches it. After he died from the poison, I dumped his body in the bay using a wheelbarrow. (Beat, annoyed) The storm they were predicting never came, or you wouldn't have ever found the body.

BRENDA

(sickened) And your first stepdaddy? Bryce's father?

CORINNE

Same way, only I didn't put enough isopropyl in, and he woke up as I was pushing him in the wheelbarrow. I had to bash his head in with a rock.

BRENDA

With…a rock?

CORINNE

Yes, ma'am. It took a couple of times.

BRENDA

And…and Lucy and Logan's daddy?

CORINNE

He was the hardest. I put too much isopropyl in and he died before I could get him out of the house. He was really heavy.

BRENDA

Why…why would you…?

CORINNE

Well, you know Eugene hit me and my mom. Bryce's dad basically raped my mom. And then Lucy and Logan's dad said he was either gonna use me or one of the little kids, so of course I let him use me until I could kill him.

BRENDA

(faintly) And…Hannah and Michaela's daddy?

CORINNE

He tried to hurt the little kids. I was gonna kill him, too, but he went to war and got killed all by himself.

BRENDA

Anyone else…?

CORINNE

Of course not.

BRENDA

Of course…Corinne, what exactly were you planning to do? Kill all the men your mama marries?

CORINNE

Only 'til she found one that didn't hurt us, ma'am. Not that she had a great track record.

BRENDA

I…Sgt. Gabriel? (she can barely speak)

GABRIEL

Corinne Woods, you are under arrest for the (choked) murders of Eugene Woods…

Gabriel's voice fades as Brenda makes her way to the exit. Suddenly, Corinne's voice cuts through.

CORINNE

Brenda? I'm sorry I pretended you hit me. Will you come visit me at the institution?

She smiles an eerie, soulless smile. Brenda runs for the exit, nearly running Pope down.

POPE

Brenda!

SCENE

Brenda's house. She barrels through the door, white-faced, passes a startled Fritz, and runs to the bathroom. She barely gets there before she starts throwing up. Fritz comes in, very concerned, and holds her hair back. When she seems done, he wets a hand towel and places it on the back of her neck, using his other hand to check for a fever.

BRENDA

I'm not sick, Fritzy.

FRITZ

There is evidence to the contrary, but you're not running a fever…

BRENDA

It's just…that girl, with the terrible parents, she—

She interrupts herself by lurching forward and retching. She leans back against Fritz when she's done, eyes closed. He runs the cloth across her face and neck, then helps her up for some water. She rinses and spits, then he gently picks her up.

BRENDA CONT'D

Fritzy, your back…

FRITZ

Shhh.

He carries her to the couch and sits down with her on his lap. Tugging a blanket over them, he wraps her in his arms and waits. He doesn't wait for long.

BRENDA

That case I've been working, with that terrible abusive dead film director? (He nods) Turns out the kid, his stepdaughter, she—she—oh Fritzy, she—(half in tears) She poisoned him, Fritzy, poisoned him and two of her previous stepdaddies and she told me without blinking an eye.

FRITZ

(quietly shocked) how old is she?

BRENDA

Fourteen. Fourteen and she's already a serial killer. And the way she looked! She didn't care! She didn't think what she did was wrong, Fritzy. She just killed them.

Brenda turns her head into Fritz's shoulder and cries. He strokes her hair, horrified.

END


End file.
